Pixar’s Wall-E tells the story of a lonely robot left on Earth to clean up all the old objects abandoned by humans. The meeting of old and new in this sci-fi animation lends itself perfectly to this week’s steampunk look. The steampunk aesthetic draws inspiration from the 19th century Industrial Revolution, combining Victorian-era fashion and steam-powered machinery, but adding a modern, futuristic twist.

Steampunk fashion can often come across as costume-y but, when kept understated, this look is ideal for semi-formal occasions such as school dances or dinners with relatives. We drew from the film’s earthy colour palette and dressed our model Owen Li in black trousers and a long-sleeved beige button-down shirt with white pinstripes. Tuck the shirt loosely into your trousers and roll the sleeves to keep it casual. Add a plain black belt, a gunmetal grey waistcoat and black leather shoes to complete this sharp yet wearable look.

Dark and defined features

Strong, defined facial features pairs well with this sharp look.

He may be a robot, but Wall-E has very expressive, soulful eyes with thick dark frames – a look we echoed with Owen’s make-up.

To get this look yourself, apply a thin line of eyeliner as close to your upper lash line as possible. Then, fill in your eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil; we opted for a shade darker than Owen’s natural colour to create an extra defined look.

Next, use a relatively dense brush to apply a subtle layer of contour powder along your cheekbones, forehead and jawline, before blending it with a fluffy brush. This will help to define your features and give your face a slightly coarser look, just like the rust on Wall-E’s body.

Slick wet-look

While we don’t expect you to commit fully to the Victorian steampunk look by growing out (or drawing on) sideburns, you can still give a nod to the vibe by slicking back your hair.

Pomade will give your hair a nice natural shine.

Apply a 50 cent-sized amount of pomade to the front section of your hair, and brush it to one side with a comb. Pomade will give your hair a natural shine, but not so much that it looks like you’ve got machine grease in your hair.

You may need to add more product to keep your hair in place, but it’s best to start with a small amount and work it in slowly, rather than applying too much to begin with – you can’t take it out once you’ve applied it!